Starting an appeal where the school manages its own appeals- any point?

This is a middle school application (so we are moving into year 5). We have 4 schools in our LA and applied for A B and C on our preference form. School B was our catchment school although geographically not the closest (complex but true- can expand if needed).

We've been allocated D. The awful, massive school which everyone in the LA gets swept into if they don't get their preference. Hardly anyone actually chooses it first place.

We think we have a good chance (maybe?) on the waiting list for this school B due to a friend getting in who lives relatively close and on the same criteria.

However we have also been told that there is no harm in appealing. This would be based on DS being a very nervous child, emotional and we feel the smaller school would give him fantastic pastoral care.

The thing is (eventually gets to the point!) this school B manages their own admission and appeals. Surely they are always going to side with themselves. Any point in even trying?

I'm fairly sure I explained our grounds for appeal our based on his need for a small based church school who can provide excellent pastoral care. I won't go into any more detail if that's ok. Nonetheless we have to try even if we are not successful, I need to feel I have done everything we can. I suspect the waiting list will be our saviour and this mornings offer and chat with the admissions lady has exposed just how close we came and were extremely unlucky not to receive any of our schools.

Did your Headteacher really tell you that his excellent behaviour, and the fact that you feel he'll be an asset rather than a burden to the new school would be sufficient grounds for an appeal? I don't mean to sound nasty, but if that's all you've got it's not looking good.

No it's not similar at all. It's more like school D (non-faith) but its a bit smaller and we got a better 'feel' for it. School B is much smaller, faith school which is what we want and our basis for appeal.

It won't affect your appeal unless school C is almost identical to school B in all the points you are relying on at appeal in which case soem tweaking may be required. For example - you plan to raise the faith aspect and small school ethos of School B at appeal. If school C is also a tiny faith school then obviously some of your points won't look so valid anymore but assuming that is not the case then it will have no impact at all.

Ok twist in the tail, we've been offered a place at school C, 3rd choice on our application. Will accepting this (and I confirmed we can still stay on waiting lists for schools A and B) affect our appeals in any way? Will the school know we have been offered and accepted/declined school C?

There are no rules about that. They have to hear your appeal regardless of the case you submit. You can submit evidence up to a few days before the hearing.

The case you submit should be about why this is the right school for your child. Don't worry about undermining the school's case for refusing admission unless you want to argue that a mistake was made. Make the strongest case you can. Make it as long as it needs to be to cover the essential points but not so long the panel will get fed up reading it. And don't make so many points your strongest arguments get lost. Make sure anyone reading it can see what you believe are the strongest parts of your case.

If you want to submit an outline initially you can make it as simple as a list of bullet points highlighting the main points of your case if you want.

prh47bridge Do you know how long this initial outline letter should be and how much detail. Is it better to raise just one point or several? We have letters from other people too- should these go in with the initial letter to the chair of governers? Thanks

Don't worry about having all the information before you submit your appeal. You can just submit an outline argument now and add to it later. If you are only after information about going over PAN in previous years you don't need to include that in your submission at all. You can bring that up when questioning the school's representative at the hearing.

I'm trying not to get too caught up in the other family's battle. It hopefully shouldn't affectbud in any way and if it does then it doesn't sound like I can do much about it.

We have been asked to address our appeal to the Head Govenor within four weeks and it will not be looked at until those four weeks are up. This ties in with the acceptances/declines and the waiting list opening. So far we've had no response to our questions though so I hope they hurry up because I want to get it written.

Any ideas on how long and what I should cover aside from the reasons. Anything to avoid? Thanks.

The other family shouldn't win an appeal on the basis that a statement is in the pipeline. The appeal panel will know that a place will be awarded automatically if the statement comes through naming the school so there is absolutely no reason for them to award a place in advance of the statement. They can, of course, cite their child's problems and show that this is the right school for him/her but the fact a statement may be in the pipeline is irrelevant.

Until a Statement has been finalised, it isn't in force. Parents don't get asked to name a school until the proposed Statement is sent out, so right now, the school doesn't officially know that there will be a Statement naming them, even if the parents have made it clear that it is their intention to do so.

They don't have a statement at this stage but are starting off the appeals process citing a statement is in the pipeline. I guess if the statement comes in the meantime, then they won't need to complete the appeal.

There will be an interesting issue over this pupil who might or might not get a statement. The rules say that a pupil with a statement applying for a place at the normal time of entry to the school will be part of the PAN of the school. Whereas if it is at a different time of entry they come in over and above the PAN. I think that the normal admission round has taken place and therefore this pupil should automatically be given a place over the PAN. OP are you making an assumption that they would have to go to appeal or is this something that has already been decided that they have to go to appeal?

Generally appeals are all held in the same week later in the year so getting in quick may not help but it is true that the school cannot 'save' spaces for someone who is about to be admitted with a statement.All you can do until then is compile the best case and make sure you're doing all the extra things like confirming you've been added to waiting lists

You can ignore the other child who may be statemented. Until they are, they are just another child - the school can't use their knowledge that there (may be) a child with a Statement coming soon, to reject your case.

Having said that, get your appeal in as soon as possible, so that their number is only at PAN and not PAN+1

Yes the advice is the same. Different rules apply to Year 2 and below because of the laws restricting infant class sizes. These cease to apply to older children so, above Year 2, the same advice applies.

It is a very trying situation to be in I know. Appeal is just one avenue, you also have the waiting list options too and with any luck you'll be near the top for school B and maybe others. You are also allowed to appeal for more than one school so can submit appeals to schools A and C as well with perhaps some tweaks to your case to make your reasons fit what those schools offer.

NickNacks - if the school is an academy or its own admission authority then yes you'd get all this information from the school. There are a couple of great MN experts who can advise on chipping away at the school's case.Basically you can ask for things like the number of students in each year (if there are more students in Year 8 and 9 than officially allowed and the school is coping fine with that then that shows the classroom size objections etc can be overcome). You can ask about how many children leave each year. If they lose 15 children before the end of Year 9, it shows some room can be expected to freed up.

PAN is only ever exceeded if appeals are won, if statemented children are admitted later or if Fair Access Protocol is used (an emergency measure for people applying at a time when literally no school in the area has a space for them and one school is instructed to take them). So if you find PAN has been exceeded, this will be why. If the school cope with extra numbers each year that will help your case. It doesn't really matter how those extra children came to be there - just that the school copes well (no documented pile ups in the corridor or anything like that)

If they win and exceed the PAN and then another child drops out, does this mean the place won't be offered to the waiting list because the PAN will still be met?You are correct on this point. A waiting list position is only ever offered when the school drops below PAN. If someone wins an appeal then 2 people have to drop out not one person to generate an offer being made from the waiting list. I am surprised they are having to appeal though. If the child already has a statement naming the school, their place should be automatic. Statemented children take priority over everyone else.

Don't be afraid to ask the school questions. They are obliged to help you in putting together your appeal and there is no reason to hide from them the fact you will be appealing.

Yes you're right. HT didn't actually say she would write that it wouldn't be detrimental to the school. I paraphrased because she actually said she would add a sentence about his excellent behaviour and we should mention we feel he would be an asset rather than a burden. I realise they will say they are full. I also want to add a bit about his academic strengths (very bright in maths and has represented his school at county level) which I feel school B can provide better support to extend his learning.

I've heard we can dispute the PAN excuse of they have exceeded it in past years. Do you know if that includes past appeals won or statemented children? We know of another child who hasn't got in who is hoping to appeal with a statement. Does this give our case any positive or negative weight? If they win and exceed the PAN and then another child drops out, does this mean the place won't be offered to the waiting list because the PAN will still be met? Where can we find out this info about past years PAN? The LA keep referring us to the school but I'm worried about bombarding them with questions and they'll realise it's because we are gathering info for an appeal. Eek!